Hot streak brings Canadiens surprisingly close to catching Leafs in standings
Are the Montreal Canadiens a playoff team?
That remains to be seen. But as far as the Canadiens’ place in the Eastern Conference standings is concerned, the answer is “almost.”
Beating the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Montreal secured five out of six possible points over their last three, taking the Edmonton Oilers to overtime on Saturday and scoring a regulation win against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.
Their recent hot streak, largely attributed to the stellar play of top-line players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and goalie Sam Montembeault, brings the Habs’ season record to 19-18-7.
That’s not a great record by any means, but it’s enough to keep them in the playoff conversation.
In fact, the updated standings show that with 45 points through 44 games, Montreal is only four points away from grabbing the last Eastern Conference Wild Card spot, currently held by the Tampa Bay Lightning (22-17-5).
Other teams in a similar position include the Devils, New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
ESPN
As for the top Wild Card spot in the East, that currently belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have collected 50 points this season with a 21-13-8 record.
At the start of the year, few would have predicted that the Leafs, who were given MGM’s third-best odds (+1,000) at winning the 2024 Stanley Cup back in July, would be struggling to maintain a playoff spot.
And almost no one thought they would only be ahead of their historic rivals, who are in the middle of a rebuild, by a handful of points past the season’s midway point.
But here we are.
Going winless in their last four games, the Leafs are trying to overcome multiple issues., including a struggling blue line, blowing leads, and difficulty winning games in regulation (currently ranked 25th in the NHL).
In all fairness, they do have two games in hand over the Canadiens, but the mediocrity is alarming nonetheless.
Despite the superstar power of players like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, and John Tavares, Toronto may be in trouble if things don’t change before the deadline.
Especially if a team like the Habs continues to rise in the Atlantic Division’s rankings.
As for Montreal, head coach Martin St. Louis and his group of underdog youngsters are playing with house money, riding the wave of minimal expectations. Simply put, they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
And if the 2021 playoffs have taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen…
Follow Channels and Categories